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As a final test leading up to the Nürburgring 24h race, Lexus participated in this weekend’s Nürburgring 52. ADAC ACAS H&R-Cup race.
Only one LFA participated in the race, as Iceland’s volcanic ash prevented support personnel from getting to the track in time to run the second LFA—the IS F team also participated.
In a tragic turn, the race was ended immediately following a fatal accident involving Aston Martin driver Leo Löwenstein. Our condolences to Löwenstein’s family and the entire Aston Martin team.
Blog.CarandDriver.com 2010 Lexus GX460 Recalled for Stability Control Issue
Jake Holmes covers the recall but questions whether the Consumer Reports warning warranted a recall.
Quotes from the story:
Lexus stopped sales of the GX460 after Consumer Reports issued a Dont Buy: Safety Risk warning. During CRs elicit reaction performance test, the magazine found that the rear of the GX460 could slide nearly 90 degrees before the stability control system intervened, which could potentially cause a rollover.
We're still a little skeptical the problem requires such a panicked response.
CR notes that there have been no recorded GX460 rollovers, and the SUV slid only after drastic driving inputs. Still, Lexus says its engineers reproduced the problem and believe the software fix will prevent such handling traits.
Here is a tip off from The Lexus Enthusiast. He has a before and after test of the GX460 with the issue that prompted the Consumer Reports "Do Not Buy" recomendation last week. Like stated in another article in the blog, Lexus is setting new standards on how to deal with product issues. It will take othe manufactures years to achieve the level of commitment that Toyota and Lexus have shown. It belittles other manufactures and how they treat customers. Lexus now has a new set the new Benchmark... Think about it, from discovering a issue that would normally have been just a service bulletin in the past (before the glaring spotlight of public scrutiny) to a full blown and implemente fix in a week. UNHEARD OF IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INSUSTRY!!!Here is the side by side video of the before and after:
TMC Announces Remedy for Vehicle Stability Control in Lexus GX 460 and Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Toyota City, Japan—Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces its remedy for the problem concerning the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) program in its Lexus GX 460 and certain Land Cruiser Prado vehicles.
In circumstances in which advanced driving skills are required, such as when a driver of the involved vehicle sharply turns the steering wheel in high-speed conditions, or when the driver negotiates a curve at excessive speeds, the vehicle could slide sideways, due to the insufficient activation of the VSC.
The following conditions combine to cause the problem:
- In the GX 460 and Land Cruiser Prado, heavy components, such as the fuel tank, are located on the left side, and in left-hand drive versions, the left side is made even heavier because of the presence of the driver.- For vehicles with certain tires (on 18-inch wheels) and equipped with the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS*) and VSC, the activation of the VSC may not be sufficient in certain circumstances due to the setting of the VSC program.- Circumstances may require advanced driving skills, such as sharp turns of the steering wheel in high-speed conditions or negotiating a curve to the right at excessive speeds.
As a remedy, Toyota will update the VSC program to enhance the effectiveness of the VSC so that the risk of the vehicle sliding, even to the point that it is almost sideways, will be reduced. Vehicles involved are as follows:
- GX 460: Approx. 13,000 units in total Approx. 9,400 units in the United States, approx. 1,000 units in Russia, approx 1,000 units in Oman- Land Cruiser Prado: Approx. 21,000 units in total (only left-hand drive vehicles with KDSS and VSC) Approx. 4,400 units in Oman, approx. 4,000 units in Russia, approx. 1,500 units in the United Arab Emirates. No right-hand drive units have this problem.
In total, approximately 34,000 units worldwide are involved. In North America, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) and Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) each announced a voluntary recall on April 19 (local time). As for other regions and countries involved, such as in Europe and the Middle East, TMC will work to implement similar measures as soon as possible.
Here is an article from Carview in Japan. It is all in Japanese and you pc probably won't even print out most of the characters but these are some never before seen pictures of the LFA, including those under the skin. So you think Lexus is feeling so strong in the LFA that they dressed it in Ferrari red?
Toyotas Kipling Moment: The only good news for the automaker is that its detractors are among the most disliked institutions in the nation.
Forbes.coms Jerry Flint reports that Toyota electrical glitches are unlikely and that drivers error is more likely. Additionally, he reports, that in Toyotas favor is the fact that the opposition is extremely untrustworthy in the eyes of the American public.
Quotes from the story:
If it finds an actual problem, Toyota can fix it once and for all. But if they can't find a problem, if no one can find a problem, if it seems to be driver error--stepping on the accelerator instead of the brake--then the questions go on and on. People in accidents will continue to believe they did nothing wrong, lawyers will continue to file suits, the press will continue to regurgitate the same stories day after day and Toyota will stay in the hole.
The other day I had a chat with a car tester, one of the best known car testers in the world. I guarantee he's not in Toyota's pocket, or anyone else's. I asked him about the unintended acceleration complaints against Toyota. He said he believed that for the most part they were drivers' errors. Why? He had never run into them in all his testing. But more important, he said that if there were an electronic glitch, it would have shown up in many other ways: headlights flickering on and off and radios going on and off. That's because the electronics are interconnected. If this isn't happening, and we don't hear such reports, then the premise that unintended acceleration is being caused by an electronic glitch is questionable, he said.
But Toyota has this going for it: the question of who people will trust more, the automaker or its detractors. The detractors are Congress, trial lawyers and the press, three of the most distrusted groups in the nation, while the car company has millions of satisfied owners out there. We know because they keep turning in their old Toyotas and buying new ones.
Based on an interview with Jeremy Anwyl, CEO of Edmunds.com, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that Toyota’s quick action to stop sales of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 temporarily while investigating an issue identified by Consumer Reports "is expected to set a precedent for other auto manufacturers who find themselves in similar situations." The article quoted Anwyl as saying that "to do otherwise would prompt consumers and regulators to remember Toyota's response and ask ‘why they aren't doing it too.’"
Toyota announced its decision about the GX 460 within hours of Consumer Reports releasing its findings and has begun a detailed technical investigation of the issue.
In addition, Toyota announced today it has suspended sales of the GX 460 in all markets, has stopped production of the vehicle for several days and, to reassure consumers, has begun new safety tests on all of its sport-utility vehicles worldwide.
According to Reuters, NHTSA Administrator David Strickland, speaking to reporters at an industry forum in Detroit today, said that Toyota has been "incredibly forthcoming" in its handling of the GX 460 issues. Reuters noted that Strickland said there has been a "change in level of response from Toyota" after recent issues.
For those of you who live in a bubble and have not heard, Lexus issued a stop sale on the 2010 GX460 because of a report from Consumer Reports. Amazing the press jumped on the report and then splashed all over the news " LEXUS GX460 ROLLS OVER" all over the place. This is not the case. The GXexibited a rear end slide during an excessive speed turn where the throttle is lifted. The truck responded in a almost sports car like rear end slide before the Vehicle Stability Control kicked in and stopped the car. Consumers felt that the slide in a certain situation could cause the truck to strick a curb. Well if you think about it, any car that slides out and hits a curb would have an issue.
So Lexus is on the test tracks and I am sure tuning the electronics so that if the truck even smells hard turn the VSC controls will kick in(enjoy the beeping warning chime). Here is a article where Lexus went to bring another car to the test track but was denied access. Here they are trying to see if they have a real problem and test it the same way. It almost looks like someone is trying to hide something. Sorry to be the devils advocate but I still remember what Consumers did to the Suzuki years ago that almost caused them to go out of business for an unfounded reason. You can read up on that in my blog from last month.
Often times when we have new customers visit us for the first time they are alittle lost when they pull in. So we put together a quick YouTube video to let them know our process and thus be alittle more comfortable when they pull in. Let us know what you think! Are there other areas or subjects you would like to see? Email me at ajones@rallyelexus.com with your comments(please be kind to our cheesy acting).
Lexus F-Sport event taking place April 29th at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ and provides hot laps in the Lexus LFA(if you one of the lucky chosen ones)
Do you have some interest in beating on someone else's high-performance car? Then you could sign up for Lexus' F-Sport event taking place on April 29th at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville NJ.
Anyone who is 18 or older with a valid driver's license is welcome to register for the one-day event, but spots for the roughly 10 half-hour sessions are on a first-come, first-served basis. Lexus promises that they'll have the IS F sedan and well as the F-Sport versions of the IS and GS models available for autocross driving.
You cannot drive the LFA. However, the company will have an LFA on hand, along with pro driver Scott Pruett to give one attendee per session a hot lap in the supercar. If you want some idea of what that will look and sound like, make the jump for our own hot lap with Pruett at Homestead.
Editor Roy Exum, who has been following the Toyota recall controversy and is very much pro-Toyota, writes about the favorable sales numbers Toyota posted in March and how Toyota played a role in jump-starting sales for the automotive industry overall.
Quotes from the story:
Toyota Motor Company had an 87 percent sales increase in March over the month before and a 41 percent increase over March a year ago. Thats right, the same company so brutally and unfairly bashed in Congress this winter just sold more vehicles (186,000) last month than any other brand in the United States.
The incentives package offered by what I am now assured is the worlds safest and most reliable automobile have actually kick-started the economically-stalled automotive industry. Plainly put, all that a union-driven witch hunt could do to humiliate and defraud a great and noble global company just blew up in its face.
[I am] one of 200,000 Americans who today proudly wears a Toyota patch. I offer that not just as a disclaimer, but instead to say I have now seen an inside to a company that I candidly believe is one of the finest and most exciting in the world.
In short, Toyota did not only do the right thing, they went over and beyond it.
I have viable proof of the millions of dollars Toyota has given to this country in the form of youth ball fields, United Way, the Red Cross, you name it. At a time when we are praying daily for the unemployed and the uninsured, I can show you 200,000 fiercely-loyal Americans who are being treated in such a way they will literally do anything as long as its legal to prove Toyota is, quite simply, the best.
BusinessWeek.com Lexus Tops Mercedes in U.S. Luxury-Auto Sales in March and the First Quarter
David Welch and Katie Merx report on the sales numbers for the automotive industry in March.Quotes from the story:
Toyota Motor Corp.s Lexus increased its U.S. sales 42 percent in March to finish the first quarter with the luxury-vehicle lead over Daimler AGs Mercedes-Benz. Lexus sold 20,219 cars and sport-utility vehicles last month and 49,523 for the quarter, according to a statement today.
Toyotas division has been the top seller of luxury vehicles in the U.S. on an annual basis for 10 years in a row.
Lexus benefited from a tripling of sales of its redesigned GX mid-size SUV, as well as increases of 30 percent for the RX sport-utility vehicle and 29 percent for the IS car, according to the statement from Toyota City, Japan-based Toyota.
In this side-by-side comparison of the Acura ZDX, Audi Q5, and Lexus RX 350, editors from Cars.com select the Lexus RX as the editors choice.
Quotes from the story:
All three of these crossovers have strong engines, but what elevated the RX 350 to the top is its responsive automatic transmission.
Known more for comfort than sport, Lexus surprised us with the best steering of the three: predictable and nicely weighted at all speeds.
Relatively wide and cushy front seats seemed to fit us just right. They're not as restrictive as the ZDX's bolstered buckets, and they offer good thigh support, aided by our test car's optional front-seat cushion extender.
The spaciousness in the front carries over to the RX's rear seats, which are generously sized and both slide and recline over wide ranges.
If you're easy on the options, the Lexus seems to offer the most for your money, and its projected five-year ownership costs are the lowest of these three.
With its spacious cabin, effortless driving experience and luxury trappings, the RX 350 is designed to have broad appeal among luxury shoppers. It doesn't have many negatives, either, which makes it even better.
The Lexus LFA Nurburgring Shames Every Other Car in Existence
TrendHunter.com proclaims that they LFA Nurburgring special edition shames every other car in existence.
Quotes from the story:
I am sorry Audi R8, but my new favorite supercar is the Lexus LFA Nrburgring. The LFA is a limited edition run itself with only 500 being made, but there will be only 50 of the Nrburgring edition made. Rarity is sexy.
The Lexus LFA Nrburgring boasts a V10 4.8L engine that produces 562 hp. Everything on the Nrburgring edition has been fine-tuned, from the shift time to the 0-62 mph acceleration. If you want to get technical, check out this articles source links. If you want to drool, check out the gallery. Either way, youre a winner.
The announcement was made to highlight LFAs entry in the Nrburgring 24 Hours race in May.
Chief Engineer OsamuSadakata is the man responsible for the original RX300 and RX400h. He then went on to set the benchmark for Hybrid vehicles in the LS600h. He takes some time at the car show in Geneva to talk about the nuts and bolts of the new CT200h. I think it is going to be his next great achievement. Check it out.....
Sarah Silverman Kills It at Global Warming Debate:
The comedian moderated a raucous discussion between author Amanda Little and skeptic Phelim McAlee
Brian Clark Howard shares his experience at the Lexus Global Warming Debate.
Quotes from the story:
The new Lexus CT 200h hybrid car [is] an undeniably hot car, though I admit I'm already a big fan of sport hatches.
Celebs showed up in force to promote the car, and watch an entertaining debate on climate change hosted by quirky comedian Sarah Silverman.
The Daily Green crew got a good look at the Revered Run from Run-DMC, Zach Braff, model Tyson Beckford, some minor stars from the Twilight movies and a couple of dudes from The Daily Show. We heard that Kevin Bacon and wife Kyra Sedgwick were there, but none of us saw them. Good old-fashioned vinyl was spun by Paul Sevigny, who is Chloe Sevigny's older brother.
Hannah Elliot combines the results of J.D. Power and Consumer Reports to determine the toughest cars on the road results show two Lexus models among the top contenders.
Quotes from the story:
Anxious drivers may take comfort that the Toyota Prius--at the center of dozens of lawsuits blaming the company for traffic fatalities due to alleged unintended acceleration--is among the countrys sturdiest cars.
Two more Toyota owned models, the $37,625 Lexus RX SUV and $65,380 Lexus LS 460 sedan, are also among the toughest cars on the road.
To compile our list, we started with the results of J.D. Power's 2010 Dependability Study, released this month. We took the top three vehicles listed in each segment and whittled down contenders by selecting only those that Consumer Reports labeled "Most Reliable" in a survey issued in its April 2010 issue. We then eliminated any vehicles with an overall CR score lower than 75.
